Logo apparatus for shoe

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and method for providing a logo on a shoe. The apparatus can include a body having a logo disposed thereon. A clip can also be provided having a base attached to a surface of the body. The clip can be formed as a blade extending a predetermined distance from the base adjacent to the surface.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent applicationSer. No. 60/588,579 filed Jul. 16, 2004, which application is hereinincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Statement of the Technical Field

The inventive arrangements concern advertising and more particularlyadvertising on shoes.

2. Description of the Related Art

Marketers are constantly searching for new methods to promote productsand services. These efforts can include the placement of logos,trademarks, slogans, or other identifying marks on various articles.Marketing efforts in this area have identified many novel and innovativelocations on which advertisements can be placed. For example,advertising can now be found in diverse locations ranging from baseballfields to articles of clothing.

Most often, advertising attached to articles of clothing is affixed bythe manufacturer. For example, logos and other promotional messages canbe affixed by screen printing, embroidery, various kinds of patchesaffixed to the articles of clothing and so on. Shoes, especially sportsshoes, are also known to sometimes include promotional labels or logos.Usually, these are affixed to the shoe at the time of manufacture bystitching, printing, stitched on labels, molded on insignia and so on.These systems have proved satisfactory for most kinds of advertisingaffixed to shoes.

Still, it is sometimes the case that consumers will wish to affix logos,advertising or personal messages to an article of clothing after it hasbeen manufactured. For example, at a sporting event, spectators may wishto identify themselves with a particular team or player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns an apparatus for providing a logo on a shoe. Theapparatus can include a body having a logo disposed thereon. A clipmember can also be provided having a base attached to a surface of thebody. The clip member can be formed as a blade extending a predetermineddistance from the base adjacent to the surface. The blade can bepositioned between a tongue of a shoe and a shoe lace so as to securethe body in place in a location where the logo can be seen. The bladecan have at least one tab disposed on it and extending toward thesurface.

The base can include a spacer element for spacing the elongated clipmember from the body. The blade can be any length suitable for securingthe clip member between the tongue and the laces. For example, the bladecan extend a predetermined distance beyond an edge of the body tofacilitate insertion of the blade between the tongue and laces of ashoe.

According to another aspect, the invention can also include a method forapplying a logo to a shoe. The method can include inserting a clipmember between a tongue of a shoe and a lace of a shoe and attaching tothe clip member a logo so that the logo is displayed on the shoe overthe laces. The method can also include providing the clip member with atleast one elongated blade portion which has a thin profile so it can bepositioned between the tongue and the lace without causing discomfort toa person wearing the shoe. Further, the method can include using atleast one tab extending from the elongated blade portion to securelyengage the laces when the laces are tightened in the shoe. Finally, themethod can include the step of removing the elongated blade portion fromthe shoe by loosening the laces and sliding the blade out from betweensthe laces and the tongue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a logo apparatus that can be removablyattached to a shoe.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the logo apparatus in FIG. 1, takenalong line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is drawing that is useful for understanding how a body portion ofthe logo can be attached to the clip member.

FIG. 4 is a drawing that is useful for understanding how the logoapparatus in FIG. 1 can be attached to a shoe.

FIG. 5 is a drawing that is useful for understanding how the logoapparatus in FIG. 1 can appear when affixed to a shoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a logo apparatus 100 that can beremovably attached to a shoe. As illustrated therein, the logo apparatuscan include a body 102 having a logo 104 disposed thereon. The term logoas used herein can include any of a wide variety of designs,information, marks, symbols or advertising. For example the logo caninclude team insignia, race car numbers, trademarks, service marks,personal messages and so on. The logo can be a two dimensional graphic.Alternatively, the logo can be a three dimensional object such as acharacter sculpture or novelty design.

The logo apparatus 100 can also have a clip member 106 that can beconfigured for removably securing the logo apparatus to a shoe. The clipmember 106 can be any structure suitable for attaching the logoapparatus to a shoe. According to one embodiment, the clip member can bea structure suitable for engaging the laces of as shoe such that thelogo apparatus is removably secured to thereto.

FIGS. 1-3 show one embodiment of a clip member 106 that can be used forthe logo apparatus of the present invention. As illustrated therein, thelogo apparatus 100 can include a base portion 108 attached to a surface110 of the body 102. The base can include a spacer element 112 forspacing the clip member from the body 102 but the invention is notlimited in this regard. The clip member 106 can also include at leastone blade 114 extending a predetermined distance from the base 108adjacent to the surface 110. The exact dimensions of the blade width Wwill depend to some extent on the number of blades used to form theclip. If a single blade is used, the blade can have a relatively broadwidth. For example, the blade can be slightly less than the width of atongue for a shoe. Alternatively, a narrower blade can be used forgreater user comfort and convenience.

According to an embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, multipleblades 114 can be used. In that case, the width W of the blades can begenerally narrower. Multiple blades having a relatively narrow width canbe more comfortable in some instances than a single broader width blade.If multiple blades 114 are used, the blade width and overall spacingbetween the blades can be selected so that the clip member 106 fitswithin an area between the laces and tongue of a shoe. Still, many otherblade configurations are possible and the invention is not limited tothe precise embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-3.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the blade can have at least one tab 116disposed on it and extending toward the surface 110. Each tab 116preferably has a tip or edge 118 that is useful for engaging a shoe lacewhen the laces are slipped between the surface 110 and the blade 114.The tab 116 shown in FIGS. 1-3 comprises a prong-like member punchedfrom the surface of the blade 114. However, it should be understood thatthe invention is not limited in this regard. Instead, any suitablestructure can be disposed on the surface of the blade 114 that willallow a shoe lace to easily slide into the space between the blade 114and surface 110, but will generally tend to prevent the blade from beingremoved. For example, the tabs can be formed from one or more ridges,lips, raised areas or other similar structure.

In addition, or as an alternative to providing tabs 116 on the blade114, the tabs can be provided on surface 110 of the logo body. In eithercase, the tabs 116 preferably provide some structure for allowing theblade to slide easily between the laces for securing the logo body 102to a shoe. Conversely, the structure of the tabs 116 should be selectedto prevent the blade 114 from being removed from its position betweenthe laces and tongue of a shoe, at least when the laces of the shoe aresnugly tied.

The blade 114 can be any length suitable for securing the clip member106 between the tongue and the laces of a shoe. For example, the bladecan extend a predetermined distance beyond an edge of the body as shownin FIG. 1. This can be useful for allowing a user to more convenientlyslide the blade 114 between a tongue and a lace of a shoe.

According to another aspect, the invention can also include a method forapplying a logo to a shoe. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the methodcan include inserting a clip member 106 between a tongue 122 of a shoe120 and a lace 124 of the shoe 120. The method can also include the stepof attaching to the clip member 106 the logo body 102 so that the logo104 is displayed on the shoe 120 over the laces 124. The method can alsoinclude providing the clip member 106 with at least one elongated blade114 which has a relatively thin profile or thickness T so it can bepositioned between the tongue and the lace without causing discomfort toa person wearing the shoe.

Further, the method can include the step of using at least one tab 116extending from the elongated blade portion 114 or surface 110 tosecurely engage the laces 124 when the laces are tightened in the shoe.Finally, the method can include the step of removing the elongated bladeportion 114 from the shoe by loosening the laces and sliding the bladeout from betweens the laces and the tongue.

The invention described and claimed herein is not to be limited in scopeby the preferred embodiments herein disclosed, since these embodimentsare intended as illustrations of several aspects of the invention. Anyequivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of thisinvention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition tothose shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilledin the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are alsointended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. Apparatus for providing a logo on a shoe, comprising: a body having alogo disposed thereon; a clip member having a base attached to a surfaceof said body; said clip member comprising a blade extending apredetermined distance from said base adjacent to said surface with atleast one tab disposed on said blade and extending toward said surface.2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said base includes aspacer element for spacing said elongated clip member from said body. 3.The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said blade extends beyond alimit defined by an edge of said body.
 4. A method for applying a logoto a shoe, comprising: inserting a clip member between a tongue of ashoe and a lace of a shoe; attaching to said elongated clip member alogo so that said logo is displayed on said shoe over said laces.
 5. Themethod according to claim 1, further comprising providing said clipmember with at least one elongated blade portion which has a thinprofile so it can be positioned between said tongue and said lacewithout causing discomfort to a person wearing said shoe.
 6. The methodaccording to claim 5, further comprising using at least one tabextending from said elongated blade portion to securely engage saidlaces when said laces are tightened in said shoe.
 7. The methodaccording to claim 6, further comprising removing said elongated bladeportion from said shoe by loosening said laces and sliding said bladeout from between said laces and said tongue.